Acupuncture adds benefit to exercise rehabilitation for knee osteoarthritis

Acupuncture adds benefit to exercise rehabilitation for knee osteoarthritis

Combining acupuncture and exercise rehabilitation can effectively alleviate pain, enhance joint function and improve mobility in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Chinese investigators randomly assigned 120 patients with moderate to severe KOA to one of the three treatment groups; acupuncture (AP), exercise rehabilitation (ER) or a combination of acupuncture and exercise rehabilitation (AE). Acupuncture treatments were administered twice weekly over a four-week period. At each session, the acupuncturist conducted a physical examination to identify pathological muscle bundles displaying pain and coarseness along the longitudinal axis of the affected side’s quadriceps muscle. These identified regions were designated as ashi points. A total of 5 to 10 ashi points were needled on the affected limb at each session. The exercise rehabilitation (ER) program encompassed strength training, joint range of motion training, proprioceptive training and core strengthening. Over 12 weeks, including four weeks of intervention and eight weeks of follow-up, the researchers assessed treatment response rates, defined as significant improvements in pain and function. At week four, the response rates were 65.7% in the AP group, 58.3% in the ER group and 83.3% in the AE group. The AE group showed a significantly higher response rate than the ER group, suggesting a synergistic effect of combining treatments. There were no significant differences between the AP and ER groups or the AP and AE groups. The improvements achieved during the intervention were sustained for at least eight weeks after treatment, indicating lasting benefits. (The Efficacy of Acupuncture, Exercise Rehabilitation, and Their Combination in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain Res. 2024 Sep 2:17:2837-2849).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39247172/